Screenwriter Support: "Do's and Don'ts When Planning a Festival Run (Short Film)"
Why *hitting send and waiting to be discovered* might not work.
This Screenwriter Support Ticket comes from subscriber Teddy Young (thanks for the support, Teddy!)
The Question:
What are some Do’s and Don’ts when planning a festival run for a short film?
My Thoughts:
I think a lot of filmmakers approach festivals from the wrong angle. They see it as their ticket to the big time, and then are disappointed when doors don’t fly open after their screening. That said, I think there are some solid Do’s and Don’ts you can prepare with to get the most out of a festival run.
DO: Choose festivals wisely and pick the ones you can attend in person.
Each festival has an application fee, then there’s travel costs (plane/gas, hotel, food), as well as any lost wages from taking off of work. Pick the festivals that have a crossover between affordability and some level of prestige and size. You should always look for feats you can afford to attend in person. You want to be there to represent your film, and as you’ll see below, actively approach other filmmakers as much as possible. That said, it’s not worth paying for a plane ticket and hotel room for a festival that no one else is going to. They don’t need to be massive, but maybe don’t travel to the one that takes place in a strip mall outside of Clearwater, FL. Do some research, find the ones that hit both of those marks for you.
DON’T: Apply widely just to get into as many fests as possible.
Laurels are about quality over quantity. If you aren’t there, even fans of your film won’t know how to connect with you after they watch. If you spend $60 each on 20 festivals, but can only fly to attend 1, you’ve just wasted $1140. Could you use that money to submit to less and attend more?
DO: Look up events/panels/mixers hosted by the festival.
Your film will screen once, but the festival usually spans many days and hosts events. Use your filmmaker pass as a way to learn new things and meet other filmmakers.
DON’T: Pass up other short film screenings.
This isn’t the You Show. Sure some people will come to your screening, but if you expect a line waiting to talk to you, think again. It’s a far better strategy to be the person who goes to other screenings and gets in line to meet the filmmakers whose work you admired. Maybe they will come to your screening next, or maybe you send them a link later, but either way, BEING the person who approaches filmmakers is far more beneficial than being the person who WAITS TO BE APPROACHED.
DO: Research other films and filmmakers screening BEFORE you go.
Plan out a schedule to attend as many screenings and events as possible (or that you’d like) and do some internet snooping to get to know some of the names behind the projects. You’ll be in rooms in tens or hundreds of people, and even if you know the films you may not know who is behind them. Familiarize yourself so you have some names and faces to keep an eye out for in case your cross paths rather than spending the night standing next to a filmmaker whose work you loved, but you didn’t speak to because you didn’t recognize them.
DON’T: Go looking to network.
Never use that word, actually. It’s gross and cold and impersonal and feels like you’re trying to use everyone else’s status to elevate your own. Instead, go with the intention to make new friends. This business is great because we have the opportunity to make art with friends, and the more friends you make, the more art you can make together. Or you could just make a great friend who you never work with, and that’s okay too. Ask people what they like to do just as much (if not more) than asking them “what do you do?”
DO: Practice your pitch.
You’ll be meeting a lot of people who say “what is your film about?” and you don’t want to be caught bumbling through the premise with a little character arc stuff and then oh yeah there’s this big twist which is cool and uh…so yeah it’s a thriller. It’s okay to have a well-rehearsed logline for your movie. Just give them enough to get them interested and then the conversation can go from there.
DON’T: Expect to get a career out of it.
Go in prepared, ready to connect with people and soak up the experience, but focus on enjoying your time rather than hoping a producer will approach you with a budget to make a movie. That just doesn’t happen. Careers take time to build, so think of this as a great foundation to start on. This is a celebration of your hard work - enjoy it and celebrate others along the way.
DO: Find out who the programmer(s) is and introduce yourself.
They selected your film to screen here along with the rest, so go say hello and give them some love for the work they do. Plus… they know all the other films being shown here and are connected to the fest. If you want to connect with a filmmaker you haven’t been able to track down, maybe they can help out.
Have any other Do’s or Don’ts to share with Teddy? Leave a comment here:
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